The Foreign Office has issued a new travel warning for Cyprus, and Brits are being urged to ‘be vigilant’ if they are planning on travelling to the island this summer
The Foreign Office has warned of ‘ongoing hostilities’(Image: Getty Images)
Although not directly involved in these disputes, Cyprus is close to the heart of the conflict, with Ayia Napa lying just 145 miles from Israel. Moreover, the presence of UK Sovereign Base Areas on Cypriot soil adds another layer of concern for potential effects on the region should the situation between Iran and Israel escalate further.
Ongoing hostilities in the region
Cyprus’ close proximity to Israel has sparked concerns for holidaymakers(Image: Getty Images)
In its official guidelines for those travelling to Cyprus, the Foreign Office states: “Ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region.”
While journeys to Cyprus are still allowed, Brits are advised to monitor local and international news outlets closely for any details.
Additionally, the office advises holidaymakers to “be vigilant and follow the instructions of local authorities”.
The Foreign Office’s safety and security page says: “There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.”
However, it also notes: “Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in Cyprus, attacks cannot be ruled out. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals.”
Can I still travel to Cyprus this summer?
It’s important to keep an eye on any updates in the region(Image: Getty Images)
At present, there are no incidents in or near Cyprus that have disrupted flights, and travel firms continue to operate as usual. However, if you’re worried about any potential escalation in conflict impacting your flight, you should get in touch with your airline to find out their stance on possible cancellations.
If you’ve already booked accommodation, it’s recommended to check whether they’ve issued any guidance for guests during your stay.
Further details on Foreign Office guidance for Cyprus can be found online here.
An acclaimed travel expert has warned Brits to check their passports before heading to the airport this summer, after swathes of travellers are still being caught out by a little-known rule
Brits should check their passports are still ‘in date’(Image: Getty Images)
Brits heading on holiday this year have been issued a stark passport warning, even if their document is still technically ‘in date’. Swathes of passengers are still being caught out by a little-known rule that came into effect after the UK left the European Union (EU) which could leave you being denied boarding.
Simon Calder, The Independent’s travel expert, recently issued a warning ahead of the ‘peak holiday season’ – stating: “A number of people will be turning up to airports across the UK with their passport and very sadly finding out that they are not allowed onboard because they have inadvertently breached the passport validity tiles.”
The ace explained that the UK negotiated for Brits to be classed as ‘third country nationals’ following Brexit, ‘just like people from Venezuela’. “British passports can be issued for more than 10 years,” Simon added. “But, if you’re trying to get into the EU and wider Schengen area you cannot get into those countries after your passport is 10 years old.”
Don’t get caught out by the sneaky passport rules this summer(Image: Getty Images)
So, if you’re jetting off to the likes of Spain or Greece this summer, make sure your passport hasn’t passed its ’10th birthday’. You’ll also need to ensure your passport has at least three months remaining from the day you intend to return from the EU (aka the last day of your holiday).
If you’re travelling to the Schengen zone, which consists of 29 countries including Sweden, Luxembourg, Finland, Czech Republic, and Denmark – the rules are even tighter. Earlier this year, a British artist was denied boarding by Norwegian airline as her passport was issued ‘more than nine years and nine months ago’.
As previously reported, her passport’s date of issue was June 13, 2015 – and it is due to expire in August – meaning she meets both criteria laid out by the EU. However, after trying to check-in at the airport, she was directed to a staff member who stated the passport was invalid as the Schengen does not recognise ‘extensions of 10-year passports’.
The anonymous artist claims she lost around £700, and was forced to spend hundreds of pounds on an emergency passport renewal and replacement flight. According to the Guardian, the Copenhagen police department stood by its decision – and confirmed that once a passport is nine years and nine months old from the date of issue – it is invalid.
How much is a new passport?
If you’re worried your passport will be invalid by the time you fly, it might be worth renewing the document. On April 10, the fee for a standard online application made from within the UK increased from £88.50 to £94.50 for adults and £57.50 to £61.50 for children. Postal applications also increased from £100 to £107 for adults and £69 to £74 for children.
If you’re in a rush, you can pay for a Premium Service (one day) application. If this is made in the UK, it will now cost you £222 for adults and £189 for children. Overseas standard paper applications have also increased from £112.50 to £120.50 for adults and £77 to £82.50 for children.
“The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation,” the government said. “The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.”
A British man has died after being bitten by a rabies-infected dog whilst visiting Morocco. The UK Health Security Agency has warned holidaymakers what to do if they have been bitten by an animal in an affected country
If you find out a company you have booked all or part of your holiday has gone bust or is facing an uncertain future, follow this guide so you know what you should do
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There’s a good chance you’ll be protected if your travel firm goes bust(Image: Oscar Wong/Getty Images)
It’s been a turbulent year for a number of travel firms. On Monday, it was announced that Great Little Escapes, based in Sandhurst in Berkshire, has ceased as an ATOL holder. The Civil Aviation Authority predicted that 141 customers had bookings impacted as a result.
Jetline Travel, a London-based company established in 2000 and parent company of Jetline Cruise, ceased trading as an ATOL holder in March. Now it has been taken into administration.
While a few hundred customers were impacted by JetLine and Great Little Escapes’ troubles, far bigger firms have previously folded, which has had much more significant consequences.
In 2019, Thomas Cook, the world’s oldest travel firm, collapsed, stranding hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers around the globe and sparking the largest peacetime repatriation effort in British history. The firm ran hotels, resorts and airlines for 19 million people a year in 16 countries. It had 600,000 people abroad when it went under, forcing governments and insurance companies to coordinate a huge rescue operation.
Holidaymakers should book with a credit card if they want to safeguard their trip(Image: Oscar Wong via Getty Images)
In 2010 British tour operator sun4u collapsed, leaving approximately 1,200 customers stuck abroad.
If you find out a company you have booked all or part of your holiday has gone bust or is facing an uncertain future, here is what you should do.
Get your phone out
As soon as you hear that your airline or holiday company has gone bust, you should sit down with your phone and start making calls.
If you booked with a travel agent, call them first. There’s a good chance that your trip will be protected if you did book through a travel agent, or that they can help you rearrange the impacted part of your trip.
If you can’t contact the travel company, go directly to your airline and accommodation provider to check they have your booking and that your payment has been made. If the booking is there, you should be fine to proceed with your holiday.
Check your paperwork
If you can’t find out if your booking is still in place, and you can’t contact your travel firm because they have ceases operator, then check your paperwork.
If the company you were travelling with was ABTA or ATOL-protected, then you should be okay. ABTA protection offers tavellers financial protection if a holiday company goes bust. The Association of British Travel Agents represents travel agents and tour operators that sell over £37 billion worth of holidays, so there’s a good chance that yours is among them.
The Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL) has been protecting people booking package holidays since 1973, and by law every UK travel company that sells holidays and flights is required to hold such a licence. You can apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for a full refund if your firm goes bust before you travel, and the CAA will arrange to get you home if you’re on holiday when it does.
Good travel insurance may be able to help you out and offer additional assistance on top of what ATOL and ABTA can, but make sure to read the small print.
If you haven’t got travel insurance in place at the point when your holiday company goes bust, your credit card company may be able to step in. If you paid more than £100 for your holiday or flights and booked directly with the holiday company or airline, and paid by credit card, you may be able to claim through the Mastercard and Visa Chargeback scheme.
Card providers may reverse a transaction on your debit card, giving you your money back, if you ask them nicely.
A PROFESSIONAL nanny has revealed the Aldi kids’ food she would never give her clients’ children.
Emily, who works with families all over the world, claimed that she would personally avoid “pouches and meal trays” that you can pick up in supermarkets.
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A nanny has claimed that kids’ food pouches should be avoided on a daily basisCredit: tiktok/@thenosugarcoatnanny
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She claimed the packs don’t provide nutrition you should rely on for your kidsCredit: tiktok/@thenosugarcoatnanny
Over recent years, numerous companies have found success in convincing parents that feeding a baby with a quick and convenient processed pouch is easier and also nutritious.
However, there have been growing concerns over whether they are nutritionally sufficient and if they hinder a varied diet.
On her @thenosugarcoatnanny account, Emily, who is trained as a prestigious Norland nanny, held up two items from Aldi’s Organia Mamia range, which are designed for children.
Speaking of their “super cheap” 65p apples, parsnips and carrots pouch (intended for ages four months and above) and their 95p chicken and vegetable cous cous (designed for 12 months and older), she said: “These are products that I do not recommend to parents.”
PANORAMA INVESTIGATION
Emily cited an investigation by BBC Panorama, which found that six leading UK brands did not meet their key nutritional needs for baby food pouches.
The NHS website has published advice on commercial baby food, and said parents should not rely on shop-bought pouches as everyday meals.
Some popular baby food pouches are labelled as being “perfectly balanced for growing babies” or “packed with goodness”.
Emily added: “Lots of you know about the Panorama documentary that came out about pouches and food.
“I think if you haven’t watched it as a parent, definitely go and watch it.”
The study followed the World Health Organisation stating that it is “critical” that infants and toddlers get good nutrition in the first three years of life.
Disgusted mom shares warning after finding mold inside her baby’s food pouch and it was still in date
Babies need food that is “pure, varied, minimally seasoned and nutrient-dense.“
Despite this, by the age of two to five, the average UK toddler has been found to get 61 per cent of their energy from ultra-processed foods, according toa 2022 study.
IRON LEVELS
Emily’s next gripe was with the iron levels in baby meals, and claimed that “a baby needs 7.8 mg a day.”
In the Panorama documentary, Ella’s Kitchen spag bol had just 0.7mg of iron, while Aldi’s Bangers and Mash contained 0.5mg of iron and a Lidl meal had about 0.4mg.
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The NHS Start For Life website states that parents should wait until their baby is around six months old before feeding them solid foodsCredit: Getty
Emily claimed: “Aldi’s products were tested, and their iron levels in them were around 0.5 mg.
“So, if you give your child, let’s say, this for breakfast, this for lunch, and a similar one for dinner, your child’s, getting 1.5 milligrams of iron a day?
“That’s so incredibly low.
“And obviously, children need iron to grow their blood cells.
“It’s obviously to help with their oxygen and the flow around their body.
“So, that’s something to really, really consider when thinking of these.”
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The World Health Organisation stating that it is “critical” that infants and toddlers get good nutrition in the first three years of lifeCredit: Getty
Emily shared how she wasn’t advising parents to avoid them completely, and said they are “absolutely fine” for days out if you’ve not made anything or forgotten a snack.
She explained: “But what I don’t want parents to be doing is stocking their cupboards full of these sorts of things, and then that’s your go-to.”
A spokesperson for Aldi said: “Our range of products can help parents and carers to support a child’s weaning journey by introducing a wide variety of food and flavours as part of a varied diet.
“Any sugar in them is naturally occurring and would be the same in a fruit puree made at home.”
Can I use shop-bought jars and pouches to feed my baby and toddlers?
ACCORDING to the NHS website: “If you are using food pouches, jars, trays and pots, they should only by used occasionally. They should not be used as an everyday food.”
Wait until your baby is around 6 months old before feeding them solid foods – even if labels say it’s suitable from 4 months
Check food labels and choose the food with the least amount of sugar
Always squeeze the contents from pouches onto a spoon to feed your baby
Do not rely on food pouches, jars, pots and trays as everyday food
Do not let your baby suck food from the pouch – this can increase their risk of tooth decay
Do not feed your baby snacks until they are 12 months old
The NHS Start For Life website states that parents should wait until their baby is around six months old before feeding them solid foods, even if labels on pouches say the products are suitable from four months.
Experts say the products should only be used sparingly, and not as replacements for homemade meals.
They also advised they can cause children health problems if used as their main source of nutrition.
The six brands involved in the investigation were Ella’s Kitchen, Heinz, Piccolo, Little Freddie, Aldi and Lidl, who all said their products were intended to be used as a complementary part of a child’s varied weaning diet.
Since first playing each other in the 2024 World Championship final, the pair have faced off a further 22 times with Littler claiming 13 wins to Humphries’ 10.
They are the two top-ranked players in the world and over the past 18 months, that has been abundantly clear.
When they are on top form, it feels as if the other is the only player who can live with them.
Add in the consistency with which they are able to reach that level and it is little wonder the Littler-Humphries rivalry is being talked about as one that could dominate darts for years to come.
“These two could have darts sewn up,” Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle said.
“They are going to be the mainstay of the darting world. Others are going to have to play really well to get the better of these two.
“If they have that hunger for four, five, six or even 10 years then someone is going to have to step up.”
Asked if he felt that he and Littler would be fighting it out at the top for the next 10 or 15 years, Humphries was less convinced.
“The problem is, there’s always another person who comes around the corner,” he said.
“In five years’ time there could be about 10 players who are as good as me and Luke and it could be a battle between us all.
“I’d love to say over the next 10 years we’ll battle it out in many finals – and we probably will – but they’ll probably be a lot of other names involved with us.”
For the time being, though, Humphries and Littler have put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack.
But even after 23 matches against each other in such a short space of time, there is no sign of familiarity breeding contempt just yet.
“I love him. I think he’s a good kid,” Humphries said of his teenage competitor.
“He’s a close friend of mine in darts. He’ll probably win much more than I’ll ever win in my career because he’s young and he’s a great talent.
“I’m just happy when I nab one here and there. I said to him on the stage, I’m really happy to win this but I’m sure he’ll get me back plenty of times in the future.
“It’s just another final in the Luke and Luke saga.”
The next stage in the saga will see the rivals become team-mates as they join forces for England at June’s World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt.
“I cannot wait,” Littler told Sky Sports. “He won it last year so hopefully he can lead me to victory.”
They should form a formidable duo but it is only a matter of time before they will be battling it out again on the oche in a major tournament.
And next time it is Littler, rather than Humphries, who might have a bit of revenge on his mind.
